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Title:

Regional Food Hub Resource Guide

Resource type:

Guide

Topics:

Agriculture,
Communities

Keywords:

local food, food hubs, regional food

Audience:

All

Region:

Minnesota Statewide,
Outside Minnesota

Summary:

This 2012 report by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service discusses regional food systems and the role of regional food hubs.

Content:

"Regional Food Hub Resource Guide: Food hub impacts on regional food systems, and the resources available to support their growth and development" is 92-page document, available for free download at the web site below. It was published by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service in April 2012.

The report focuses on issues related to Regional Food Hubs, which it defines as "a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand."

Sections include:

* Clarifying the Regional Food Hub Concept

* Regional Food Hub Impacts

* Economic Viability of Regional Food Hubs, Barriers to Growth, and Strategies to Address Them

* Resources Available to Support Regional Hub Development

A St. Paul-based regional food hub, Co-op Partners Warehouse, is one example of one of the hubs described in the report. To learn more about Co-op Partners Warehouse, visit their web site at www.cooppartners.coop/